Posts About 'Accommodation'

If not booked early enough, it may be hard to find a hotel room in Lisbon during the high seasons or whenever there’s a major festival or conference in town. If you find yourself looking for reasonably-priced accommodation in the city when there are no more hotel rooms available, you shouldn’t give up on your trip and instead consider other options — and Lisbon offers plenty of them. The city’s central districts are still home to literally hundreds of decaying buildings, but many of them have now been renovated, others were completely rebuilt, and several are now rented out to tourists. With so many hotels found in the soulless business districts, these apartments really offer the best central and charming locations and, needless to say, much more space and privacy.
Another option is to consider staying in a hostel. In Lisbon a hostel doesn’t necessarily mean shared rooms and loud 20-somethings. The city has repeatedly been recognized as having the world’s best hostels, and many of them offer private rooms and welcome all age groups. Two of them just opened recently, and both are in excellent locations. Rossio Patio is housed in the landmark Rossio Station (meaning you can go straight from your bed to the train to Sintra), and The Independente faces one of the city’s most romantic sites, the viewpoint São Pedro de Alcântara.

But the best alternative to a hotel really is an apartment, and the ones rented out to tourists in Lisbon are all conformably-furnished and fully equipped. The difference between each one is therefore just the number of guests they can accommodate and the location. The neighborhood you choose will depend on the experience you’d like to have. Apartments in Chiado are perfect for those who want to stay in the center of the action, in the city’s liveliest neighborhood, for shopping and cafés. The apartments in Bairro Alto are best for night owls, or young people who don’t get much sleep at night, preferring to stay in bed until later in the morning after a night of drinking in the many neighborhood bars.
Those who choose one of the apartments in Alfama will be experiencing life as a local, in a neighborhood where life goes on as it has for centuries, where neighbors all greet each other in the morning, in a medieval atmosphere now gone from most other big cities in Europe.
The apartments in Baixa will probably be perfect for those who need complete silence at night, as although this is the city’s downtown, it becomes deserted at night when all the businesses close.
Finally, the apartments in Parque das Nações probably offer the most modern spaces, although guests will have to take the metro to reach most of the attractions downtown. Still, Parque das Nações itself offers a number of sights to see, including the Oceanarium.
So whether you choose a hostel or an apartment, you can be sure to find the perfect roof over your head for your nights in Lisbon at any time of the year.

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PESTANA PALACE HOTEL
The favorite celebrity hotel in Lisbon is found halfway between the district of Belém where the main landmarks and museums are found and downtown‘s shopping and restaurants. However, you’ll likely end up staying in the hotel for a large part of the day, thanks to its beautiful gardens, fantastic spa and swimming pool (there’s also a heated indoor pool for the winter).

YORK HOUSE HOTEL
This hotel’s restaurant is one of the city’s favorite thanks to its fine cuisine and lovely garden, and it offers a special menu for Valentine’s Day. It’s just one more excuse to also book a stay in the hotel, whether in the more contemporary or more classic rooms.

SOLAR DO CASTELO
Sleep surrounded by thousand-year-old walls at this hotel inside Lisbon’s ancient castle. The building itself dates from the 18th century and has a beautiful tiled terrace, often visited by peacocks from the castle. The rooms offer old-world elegance and the city’s most romantic viewpoints are just a very short walk away.

AS JANELAS VERDES HOTEL
The location is ideal for a romantic stay: in a central but tranquil neighborhood, and just a few feet away from one of the city’s biggest cultural attractions, the Ancient Art Museum. It’s the former home of acclaimed Portuguese novelist Eça de Queiroz, offering intimate rooms and a romantic patio garden.

LAPA PALACE HOTEL
It’s perhaps the most popular honeymoon hotel in Lisbon, thanks to its romantic rooms, and especially the suite with its own private terrace with spectacular views of the city and river. The restaurant serves excellent international cuisine in a palatial dining room.

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Found in a 19th century building in the Chiado district, Lisb’On is Lisbon’s newest hostel and at least judging from its living room, it’s quite possibly the most beautiful in the city. That spacious room has a beautiful stucco ceiling with an enormous chandelier, and is tastefully decorated. At the center is a pool table and against one of the walls are four computers offering internet access.
The rest of the interior is divided into multiple-guest dormitories, double rooms, and a suite, as well as a kitchen and terrace offering views of the river and 25 de Abril Bridge.
The rooms are air-conditioned (quite rare in low-budget accommodation in the city) and are named after local icons and personalities.
There is also laundry service available.
For full details and booking information see here: Lisb’On Hostel

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Located in one of Lisbon’s most charming and tranquil neighborhoods (that is surprisingly without any hotels), Hotel da Estrela has just opened. It has 13 rooms, six suites and three meeting rooms, as well as a bar and a restaurant. It’s a very unique hotel because it’s part of a tourism school, although it’s run by professionals offering 4-star service (it’s also part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World brand).
The interior is by one of Portugal’s most renowned designers, Miguel Câncio Martins, who’s worked on several high-profile hotels, bars and restaurants around the world.
Guests will see Estrela park and the dome of Estrela Basilica down the street from the hotel, and the famous tram 28 passes right by.
You can get complete hotel information and booking details here: Hotel da Estrela
For all other hotel choices in Lisbon, see our Lisbon hotels guide.

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Lisbon has had three new hotels opening in the last couple of months, all of them located in the center of the city and at reasonable prices. One of them is even a new concept, a “low cost” hotel that’s somewhere between a standard hotel and a hostel:

The just-opened Inspira Santa Marta is a stylish hotel just a short walk from Avenida da Liberdade in central Lisbon. Although it’s opened with only the superior rooms available, all the others will open by next month, also when the spa and gym become ready to receive guests.
Each room was designed following Feng Shui concepts and have a contemporary look. You get free wireless internet service, but (unusually for Lisbon) no breakfast (that’s 7.50 per person). There is also a lounge and a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine.
Complete details and booking: INSPIRA SANTA MARTA HOTEL

The low-cost airline concept has been applied to accommodation at this new hotel. That means how much you pay depends on what you want to get. Located at the doorstep of the popular Bairro Alto district next to the Santa Catarina viewpoint, Evidência Light Santa Catarina is like a transition between a standard hotel and a hostel, offering 13 double rooms with private bathroom, 3 triple rooms with private bathroom, and a dorm with 14 beds and separate bathrooms (one for each gender). That last room accommodates individuals or groups and it works just like a hostel.
Each room has a colorful design, and you get a bed, linen, and a towel, but not breakfast. Not serving a free breakfast allows it to be “low cost” accommodation, and you only get a new towel and linen every 3 days (you pay if you’d like extras before that). If you feel like an early morning or midnight snack, there are some available 24 hours a day on a vending machine.
There is also a lounge area with free wireless internet, a bar, a wonderful courtyard to catch some sun, and a “mini library.”
Complete details and booking: EVIDÊNCIA LIGHT SANTA CATARINA HOTEL

This new 56-room hotel just opened not far from Avenida da Liberdade, Lisbon’s main, central avenue. It also offers a restaurant and two bars, and soon it will include a spa with different treatment rooms, gym, and indoor heated pool. Wireless internet and a breakfast buffet is included in the price.
This is 5-star accommodation but prices for a double room are as low as 100 euros. Each room is elegantly decorated with a certain classic/vintage look.
Complete details and booking: CS VINTAGE LISBOA HOTEL

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It’s been widely reported that Lisbon has the world’s best hostels and just a couple of days ago a new one opened as a strong contender to one of the top spots in the “world’s best” list. It has the rather pompous name of “Royal Lisbon Hostel” and it does automatically score points for its location on Largo do Camões, one of the city’s most central squares connecting its two most popular neighborhoods, Chiado and Bairro Alto.
Inside you’ll find everything you expect from a modern hostel, from spacious lockers for your belongings to comfortable beds. As at most other hostels, the bathrooms are shared but divided by gender. Prices are of course quite affordable, and it also allows you to save further by letting you prepare your own meals in the kitchen. You can enjoy them in the dining room before moving to the lounge area with views over the square, watching over the cafés and busy life of the surroundings. That’s also where you can access the wireless internet before stepping right into Lisbon’s vibrant street life.
This is no 5-star accommodation, but its privileged location, brand-new facilities, relaxed ambience, and affordability make it a luxury option for budget travelers.
Complete details and booking information here: Royal Lisbon Hostel

Portugal’s Madeira Island is known as “the garden of the Atlantic,” but that idyllic subtropical paradise was last February 20 the victim of a major storm (perhaps the worst on record) that left over forty people dead and much infrastructure damaged. However, the area where most of the hotels are located was left largely unaffected, and the island has been cleaned up and is picking itself up to continue to share its beautiful setting and serene atmosphere with the world. It therefore continues to be the perfect place for a rejuvenating getaway right now, with wonderful hotels offering breathtaking views and special pampering services. Here are a few of the best which include special rooms, views, and spa:

QUINTA SPLENDIDA
With views of the Atlantic and a botanical garden, this hotel has a contemporary, Asian-inspired ambience. Its spa offers special services for couples, or you can enjoy a massage or luxurious treatment all by yourself. The hotel also has a small golf course and 25 spa suites for a truly splendid stay.

CHOUPANA HILLS
This nature-inspired design hotel has a health and beauty spa with hot stone massages and aromatherapy among other treatments. It also includes a Turkish bath, sauna and heated indoor pool, as well as yoga classes, all at prices starting at 40 euros. The hotel overlooks the city of Funchal and the Atlantic, and is surrounded by a subtropical garden with over 200 plant species.

CS MADEIRA ATLANTIC
You can say that the Atlantic that surrounds the island is the inspiration for this spa hotel. All of its treatments are water-based, allowing their healing powers to do their magic on your mind and body. There are 14 treatment rooms and four outdoor pools, so you’ll always find space to relax in peace.

Downtown Lisbon has a new hotel. It’s the third to open in the past year, after Vincci Baixa and Gat Rossio. This one is called Altis Avenida and is also a 4-star boutique-style hotel. It has one of the best locations in the city, facing Restauradores Square and therefore also just around the corner from the bustling Rossio, with most of the rooms offering beautiful views. Some of them face Restauradores, while others look over Rossio all the way to the river.
The building was built in the 1940s and has been fully renovated. While the interior is contemporary, it is slightly inspired by 1940s glamour when Lisbon was a neutral safe haven for exiled nobility during WWII.
In total there are 72 rooms, with the top floor reserved for a restaurant and a terrace bar overlooking all of downtown.
The hotel is perfect for both leisure and business travelers, with a meeting room, business center, and free wifi throughout the building.
You may get more information and book it here: Altis Avenida Hotel

In Dublin last night, HostelWorld.com announced the winners of their very own Oscars for Hostels, the 2010 Hoscars (HOStelworld Customers Annual Rating – clever, eh?) with over 350 hostel owners and managers attending.

This prestigious event includes awards presented to hostels with the highest customer ratings and reviews, as voted for by over 900,000 Hostelworld.com customers. The event last night was to announce the best hostels for 2009.

But you can’t help but admire the Travellers House Hostel. Nominated best hostel for 2 years running, and also in the Top 3 of GoLisbon’s list of most popular hostels for 2009. This hostel is proving consistently that it is the favorite in the city according to reviews from past guests. It is located in Lisbon’s main pedestrian street, Rua Augusta and not only is the location perfect, the design of the décor is another major attraction.

Congratulations are due then, to Lisbon’s hostels in general, and to Travellers House in particular.

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Price, location, and positive reviews from past guests were the selling points for the hotels and hostels most booked in 2009 through GoLisbon.com. Looking at the top 5 hotels, they average an 8.3 out of a possible 10 rating from past guests and are all centrally located or with easy access to and from the airport. Three of them are located downtown, with the relatively new Vincci Baixa having already claimed a spot in the top 5. What they all also have in common is their price range, with double rooms at below 100 euros throughout most of the year, and often going for as low as 60 euros. Their positive rating means that their strongest selling point is good value for money but their locations are also a plus.
In our hostel bookings the ratings from previous visitors were also important to attract new guests, with the top 5 hostels averaging a 93.5% approval. The most booked hostel was the gay-friendly Pouso dos Anjos Guesthouse followed by Lisbon Story Guesthouse and Travellers House in the Baixa, downtown district.
GoLisbon also offers apartment bookings, all located in the most central and charming historical neighborhoods, as well as pousadas which this year attracted a larger number of travelers. Below is the top 5 hotels and hostels, showing their percentage of all bookings made through GoLisbon.com: